


'To Tree or Not to Tree'

by Katef



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 18:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16770706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katef/pseuds/Katef
Summary: Blair has environmental issues.





	'To Tree or Not to Tree'

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [ainm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainm/pseuds/ainm) in the [2018_TSSS_DrabbleDays](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2018_TSSS_DrabbleDays) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> **Christmas Tree** – due 19th Dec/revealed 20th Dec

** ‘To Tree or Not to Tree’? **  


“Hey, Chief, what are you doing?” As Jim stepped into the loft, he frowned in consternation as his young guide and now lover spun around to face him, his expression a mix of nervousness and guilt tempered with determination. 

“Um, nothing, man. Well, nothing much,” the smaller man murmured, offering Jim a tentative grin, and looking utterly adorable in his doting partner’s opinion. 

“It’s…um…our new Christmas tree,” he added anxiously, before stepping aside to reveal what he had been hiding behind his back. 

Jim’s eyebrows rose as he beheld the object, momentarily uncertain as to how he should respond. It stood around four feet high, and appeared to be constructed out of unfinished wood offcuts and discarded branches, and resembled nothing so much as a giant, rustic mug tree. His initial reaction was to guffaw aloud in sarcastic disbelief, but one look at Blair’s wounded and soulful eyes was enough to make him swallow down the urge as he fought to maintain a serious demeanour. 

“Uh, OK, Chief – baby – I’ll bite. Tell me more!” he said, crossing over to give his guide a quick but affectionate hug. “So, what made you get this…er… _tree?”_

Stepping back so he could look Jim in the eye, Blair relaxed a little now he had his lover’s undivided attention. Perhaps this was going to go down better than he had feared after all. 

“Well, it’s like this, Jim. Me and some of my friends at the U were discussing the huge impact on the environment that the festive season has every year. Do you realise how many tons of real Christmas trees are bought and then disposed of every year? The carbon footprint is incredible, man, and totally unnecessary!” 

“I get that, Chief, but surely if more people change to artificial trees, the impact would be less?” 

“Not necessarily, Jim. See, the impact in manufacturing artificial trees is much greater than in growing live ones, so you would have to reuse an artificial one for many years before it will outweigh the environmental impact of buying a real tree every year. 

“But then again, if most real trees are disposed of in landfill, then by rotting down, they produce huge amounts of methane, which is a dangerous greenhouse gas. The only good way to dispose of an old real tree is to chip it and spread it on the garden, and most folks don’t do that. 

“So, anyway, Mitch – a friend who has an Arts and Crafts stall in Cascade Farmer’s Market – decided to start making these alternative trees out of offcuts and such. And if I decorate it using home-made stuff, we’ll be doing our bit for the environment! Uh, what do you say?” he tailed off anxiously, trying to gauge Jim’s reaction. 

Truthfully, Jim still wanted to laugh, but the pleading look in the younger man’s eyes quelled that desire. Dropping a kiss on Blair’s brow, he grinned as he replied, “Fair enough, babe. I’ll leave it up to you, OK? I’m sure it’ll look fine when it’s finished!” He congratulated himself on the reaction his words elicited when Blair beamed up at him, his love and gratitude shining in his eyes.  


\--------------------------  


The following day Jim returned to the loft to hear his partner singing softly along to Christmas music, and when he opened the door, he was immediately struck by a feeling of pleased astonishment. Blair had finished trimming the ‘tree’, and it looked amazing. Decorations made from sprayed pine cones and candy wrappers were augmented by homemade paper chains and curls, plus baked gingerbread shapes and bits of evergreen foliage. The only ‘bought’ object his guide had used was a string of Jim’s old Christmas lights, and the overall effect was stunning. Striding over to where Blair stood smiling up at him, Jim couldn’t help himself. He pulled the smaller man into a warm hug, and kissed him lovingly before breaking off to grin down into Blair’s beautiful shining blue eyes. 

“It’s great, Chief! Truly! I love it, and I’m sure the gang will too! Well done, babe, and Merry Christmas!” 

And it was.  


\-----------------------------  



End file.
